This story was originally published by our partner publication, The Ithaca Voice.
DRYDEN, N.Y. — Tompkins County Legislator Mike Lane, D-Dryden, has announced he will seek re-election.
Lane chairs the Legislature and represents District 14, which covers the eastern part of the Town of Dryden, including the Villages of Freeville and Dryden. Lane also chairs the Transportation and Old Library Committees.
In a news release Monday, Lane said he is a strong advocate for economic development and has previously chaired the Industrial Development Agency.
Election 2017: Who's running for Tompkins County Legislature?
“While the economies of many counties in our region continue to struggle, our County is a bright spot for potential growth and economic development. A properly growing economy can mean good paying jobs and an incentive for families to stay and prosper here,” Lane said in a news release, “but the job isn’t done and we must be vigilant. New York State still mandates that we pay the high costs of Medicaid and other expensive services, while our sales tax receipts are anemic and property tax revenues are limited. The County struggles to repair our roads and bridges, provide Sheriff’s road patrols, and still deliver vital health, family, and mental health services.”
Lane continued: “We must protect the most vulnerable of our population by supporting housing needs and the environment, by fighting climate change, and by supporting renewable energy. We must continue our support of services for youth and the elderly, and keep our transportation system and infrastructure healthy. While our county seat has prospered, the recovery has been slower for people in the rural areas like Dryden and Freeville. We have to pay attention to them. I have the experience and will do my best to provide leadership to help forge essential fiscal compromises in these troubled times. I would like to continue to work in the best interest of the people of the 14th District and all of Tompkins County.”
Lane is the county liaison to both Tompkins Cortland Community College and the Tompkins County Public Library. He serves as a trustee of the Southworth Library Association in Dryden and is a charter member of the Dryden Sertoma Club.
Lane works as an attorney in a private practice in Dryden. He served three terms on Tompkins County Legislature from 1994 through 2005 and returned in 2009 and 2013. Before that, he served 10 years as mayor of the Village of Dryden.
